In March 2008 I visited the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan. During that visit I went to Zenkov Cathedral.The Zenkov Cathedral was in the area Panfilov Park.

The story of Zenkov Cathedral started back in the early years of the twentieth century.The Zenkov Cathedarl Ascension (Russian: Вознесенский собор), also known as Ascension Cathedral，is a Russian Orthodoxcathedral located in Panfilov Park in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Completed in 1907, it is the second tallest wooden building in the world.

In the late 19th century the first bishops of the Turkistaneparchy discussed the need for a Russian Orthodox Church in Almaty. On September 26, 1903 the bishop of Turkistan and Tashkent, Paisij (Vinogradov) consecrated the foundation of the church. Construction lated between 1904 and 1907. The belfry was erected on September 14, 1906. The cathedral survived the 1910 earthquake with minimal damage.

The inner structure of cathedral was made in the artistic workshops of Moscow and Kiev. The iconostasis was painted by N. Khludov. After the Russian Revolution the cathedral was used to house the Central State Museum of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. From 1930 to 1940 it was used by important public organizations. The first radio transmitters in Almaty were situated in the cathedral’s belfry.Restoration work on the cathedral began in 1973 and lasted until 1976. In May 1995 control of the cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church,